Malaysian Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities (MJSSH)

Towards a More Asymmetrical Federation: Sarawak Regionalism and the Future of Malaysian Federalism

Ivy Anak Jugah, Arnold Puyok — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 08:49:08 +0800

This article examines Sarawak's post-2018 regionalism as a structurally significant driver of change in Malaysian federalism. Drawing on qualitative elite interview data from five key participants in the political, legal, and legislative domains, corroborated by official government and primary documentary sources spanning the period 2018 to 2026, the article argues that Sarawak's regionalism is contributing to a gradual shift towards a more negotiated and asymmetrical form of Malaysian federalism, characterised by incremental fiscal, resource, and administrative devolution within the Federation rather than comprehensive decentralisation or separation. Three core findings organise the analysis: first, greater autonomy is being achieved through incremental asymmetrical devolution of fiscal and resource powers; second, negotiation, encompassing federal-state bargaining, coalition leverage, and selective legal action, functions as the primary pathway; and third, the sustainability of these gains is conditioned on constitutional durability, governing capacity, development performance, and a transition beyond grievance-based regionalism. The article advances the concept of 'negotiated centralism' as a theoretically grounded account of how a sub-state region achieves meaningful asymmetrical gains within a formally centralised federal structure, without triggering comprehensive decentralisation or separation. An original 'constitutional covenant' framing of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 is also offered, positioning MA63 as a living constitutional framework for federal-state relations rather than a historical grievance.

Examining the Growth Mindset Among Academics at Private Higher Educational Institutions (PHEIs) in Sabah, Malaysia: A Quantitative Study

Thu, 10 Sep 2026 09:45:48 +0800

Growth mindset or the belief that intelligence and abilities can be developed through dedication and effort is vital for Malaysian academics because it fosters academic resilience, enhances adaptability in the fast-paced digital economy, and helps overcome anxieties around complex issues. Adopting this perspective is crucial for Malaysia's socioeconomic development, directly impacting several principal areas of higher education, including science, technology, and entrepreneurship. The purpose of this study was to examine the growth mindset among academics at private higher educational institutions (PHEIs) in Sabah, Malaysia. The sample comprised 61 academics from four PHEIs in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, who completed the Growth versus Fixed Mindset Assessment on Google Forms. Data were subsequently transferred onto a spreadsheet and analyzed using SPSS 29.0. First, findings showed that below average proportions (52.5 t0 58.8 percent) of academics tend to strongly agree/agree on eight of the items, while average proportions (72.1 to 83.6 percent) of them tend to strongly agree/agree on 12 of the items. Additionally, Mann-Whitney U test indicated nonsignificant gender differences in growth mindset, while Kruskal-Wallis H test showed nonsignificant differences by way of age and job experience. Besides, Wilcoxon signed rank test indicated that 16 of the growth mindset items were significantly different from the hypothesized median value of 3.5 at p < .001, while four of the items were significantly different from the hypothesized median value of 3.5 at p < .05. Findings imply that only below average to average proportions of PHEI academics tend to possess a high growth mindset. In light of the findings, several recommendations were made on ways to enhance academics’ growth mindset in Sabah, Malaysia.

Bahasa Malaysia Version of Academic Performance Questionnaire: A Validation Study

Sun, 06 Sep 2026 13:13:59 +0800

Academic performance in higher education is increasingly shaped by global ranking systems that emphasise research output, institutional reputation, and internationalisation. In Malaysia, public universities face dual pressures to enhance global competitiveness while maintaining teaching quality and securing research funding. This study examines the psychometric properties of the Academic Performance Questionnaire (APQ) adapted for Malaysian academicians to measure perceptions of institutional performance. This study employed a cross-sectional survey design involving 116 academicians from the Health Campus of Universiti Sains Malaysia. The structure of the instrument was examined using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) while reliability and validity were assessed through composite reliability (CR), and average variance extracted (AVE) to evaluate internal consistency and convergent validity. One weakly loading item was removed and one error covariance between two aspirational, internationally oriented items was specified. The resulting 11-item single-factor APQ displayed strong fit (χ²/df = 1.696, CFI = 0.953, TLI = 0.939, RMSEA = 0.078), with loadings from 0.653 to 0.747. Composite reliability reached 0.916 and AVE was 0.500, which met convergent validity. The adapted 11-item APQ is a valid and reliable unidimensional measure of perceived institutional academic performance for use with Malaysian health sciences academicians, even though future validation across diverse institutions and academic disciplines is recommended.

Estate Characteristics and the Effectiveness of SIA-Driven Corrective Measures in Kuala Muda, Kedah

Sun, 06 Sep 2026 12:55:06 +0800

Social Impact Assessment (SIA) is mandatory under Principle 4 of the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) standard, yet certification bodies and researchers have paid comparatively little attention to how SIA implementation and corrective outcomes vary once estates differ in workforce composition, location, terrain and stakeholder environment. This comparative case study examined how such operational characteristics shaped SIA implementation and the outcomes of SIA-driven corrective measures across ten MSPO-certified or MSPO-related oil palm estates in the Kuala Muda district of Kedah, Malaysia. Data were drawn from institutional SIA documentation and semi-structured interviews with the ten responsible estate managers, who reported between seventeen and thirty-five years of plantation experience and were analysed through thematic and content analysis with cross-case comparison. Findings showed that all ten estates followed a broadly consistent SIA procedure, yet the substantive issues each estate faced, and the pace at which corrective measures resolved them, varied according to location, terrain, workforce composition and dependence on external agencies. Corrective measures within an estate's direct administrative and financial control, such as housing repair and worker transport, were consistently reported as effective. Measures requiring head office capital approval, sustained worker behavioural change, or cooperation from external government agencies and surrounding communities were slower and only partially resolved. The study concludes that SIA under MSPO functions as a context-sensitive management process rather than a uniform compliance procedure, with implications for how certification bodies, auditors and plantation sustainability departments distinguish internally resolvable issues from those requiring coordinated external action.

The Formation of Mountain Guide Professionalism in Malaysia: An Analysis of History and Institutions

Mohd Yussainy Md Yusop, Mazlan Ali, Adibah Yasmin Alias — Sun, 06 Sep 2026 12:35:43 +0800

Mountain guiding is a profession that has been recognised in Malaysia and has come about through a historical and institutional process. The aim of this study is to explore the professionalisation of mountain guiding in Malaysia from the informal local knowledge to a structured national program. The research adopts a qualitative document analysis approach to analyze government policies, historical documents and literature. The results reveal three periods of professionalization: the colonial period informal practice, the transitional period in the context of recreational expansion, and the more recent crisis-driven formalization period. The Forestry Mountain Guide (MGP) program was introduced in 2020 and is a pivotal institutional action towards addressing the rising number of safety incidents and fatalities in forest reserves. The study concludes that the MGP program represents a great step forward but there is a need to invest more in professional empowerment and international recognition for its long-term sustainability.

Capture without Transfer? Copyright Registration and Platform Enforcement through the Gugu Gaga Meme in China

Yixuan Zhai, Nazura Abdul Manap — Sun, 27 Sep 2026 09:07:22 +0800

The article examines how voluntary copyright registration may support platform enforcement where underlying ownership remains unresolved, using the Gugu Gaga case in China. In July 2026, a ByteDance subsidiary registered two entries associated with a penguin-costume meme whose source image originated from an independent online creator, although the precise content of the deposited works remains unavailable. The study employs doctrinal legal analysis within a single-case design, supplemented by qualitative document analysis. It examines legislation, six Chinese judgments, four platform agreements, campaign rules, registration records and complaint guidelines, with online materials preserved as dated captures. The examined agreements do not establish a transfer of copyright ownership to the registrant. Registration supplied a public record and a favourable, rebuttable evidentiary position without resolving the underlying entitlement. The complaint procedures indicate that registration credentials may support enforcement before substantive ownership is adjudicated. No enforcement linked to these registrations was identified during the study period. The article argues that, where registration creates an enforcement-ready credential without resolving underlying ownership, registration may function as ‘capture infrastructure’ by strengthening a claimant’s procedural position while shifting the burden of challenge to others.

From Learning Beliefs to Engagement: The Mediating Role of Motivation among Malaysian CFL Learners

Hu Fen, Chun Keat Yeap — Sun, 06 Sep 2026 20:35:37 +0800

This study investigates the relationships among learning beliefs, learning motivation, and learning engagement in the context of Chinese as a Foreign Language (CFL) among Malaysian university students, with a particular focus on the mediating role of motivation. Drawing on a learner psychology perspective, the study proposes and tests a mediation model linking these three key constructs. A quantitative research design was adopted, and data were collected from 208 undergraduate students enrolled in CFL courses using a structured questionnaire. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, regression analysis, and mediation analysis with bootstrapping procedures. The results reveal that learning beliefs significantly and positively predict both learning motivation and learning engagement. Learning motivation emerges as the strongest predictor of engagement, indicating its central role in shaping learners’ active participation. Furthermore, mediation analysis demonstrates that learning motivation partially mediates the relationship between learning beliefs and learning engagement, suggesting that beliefs influence engagement both directly and indirectly through motivational processes. These findings contribute to the field of second language acquisition by providing empirical support for an integrated model of learner psychology and by extending mediation-based research to the CFL context. The study also offers pedagogical implications for enhancing student motivation and engagement through the development of positive learning beliefs.

The Influence of Corporate Entrepreneurship on Firm Performance in the Supply Chain Sector in Saudi Arabia: The Mediating Role of Dynamic Capabilities

Riyad Alotaibi, Logaiswari Indiran, Khartic Rao Manokaran — Sat, 26 Sep 2026 11:35:43 +0800

Corporate entrepreneurship has increasingly been recognized as a critical strategic mechanism for enhancing organizational competitiveness and performance. However, the processes through which entrepreneurial initiatives translate into measurable firm outcomes remain insufficiently understood, particularly within the supply chain sector in emerging economies. This study investigates the influence of corporate entrepreneurship on firm performance in the Saudi Arabian supply chain sector, with particular emphasis on the mediating role of dynamic capabilities. A quantitative research design was adopted, and data were collected through a structured questionnaire distributed to professionals working in the supply chain sector in Saudi Arabia. Out of 320 distributed questionnaires, 253 valid responses were obtained and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM). The results reveal that corporate entrepreneurship has a significant positive effect on dynamic capabilities and firm performance. Furthermore, dynamic capabilities significantly influence firm performance and partially mediate the relationship between corporate entrepreneurship and firm performance. These findings highlight the importance of organizational adaptability in transforming entrepreneurial initiatives into improved performance outcomes. The study contributes to the literature by integrating corporate entrepreneurship and dynamic capabilities within a unified framework and by providing empirical evidence from the Saudi supply chain context. Practically, the results suggest that managers should not only encourage entrepreneurial behavior but also strengthen internal capabilities that enable organizations to respond effectively to environmental changes. Overall, the study provides insights into how supply chain firms can enhance competitiveness and achieve sustainable performance in an increasingly dynamic business environment.

English Educators’ Prospective Evaluation of a Reader’s Theatre Programme for Indigenous Students in Rural Pahang

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 20:07:51 +0800

Reader’s Theatre may offer a structured and engaging approach to developing English speaking skills, but an intervention intended for Orang Asli adolescents should be assessed prospectively before claims about effectiveness are made. This survey evaluated English educators’ opinions and overall acceptance of a proposed Reader’s Theatre intervention designed to improve the speaking skills of students aged 13–15 at CEFR A1–B1 levels in rural Pahang. A cross-sectional online survey was completed by a purposive sample of 45 educators with secondary-school English-teaching and Indigenous-student teaching experience. Likert-type items were analysed individually using frequencies, medians, interquartile ranges and favourable-response proportions with Wilson 95% confidence intervals; unable-to-judge responses were retained as a separate category. Evaluations were mixed. Professional fit (59.0%), programme clarity (56.4%), perceived classroom implementability (60.0%) and understanding of the proposed steps (58.1%) received the strongest favourable responses. Overall acceptance was 35.9%, support for proceeding with a monitored pilot was 29.7%, and only 30.0% judged the anticipated burden to be low. Uncertainty was particularly evident for the proposed one-day format, which 28.9% were unable to judge. The most frequently selected requirements were facilitator briefing or training (80.0%), additional rehearsal time (66.7%), and both logistical support and smaller groups or more facilitators (60.0% each). The findings indicate conditional rather than general acceptance. They support culturally reviewed co-design and a closely monitored pilot before the intervention’s effect on speaking skills is evaluated.

Strategic Capabilities and Value Creation: Divergent Roles of Enterprise Risk Management, Digital Technology, and Resilience

Kelvin Luckness Mkundi, Hui Au Nee Au Yong, William Choo Keng Soon — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 16:53:56 +0800

generate sustainable competitive advantage remain poorly understood, particularly under extreme uncertainty. This study examines how enterprise risk management (ERM), digital technology adoption (DTA), and organizational resilience (OR) contribute to sustainable competitive advantage in Tanzania’s mining industry. Drawing on the Resource-Based View and Dynamic Capabilities Theory, the study proposes that strategic capabilities generate competitive advantage through distinct organizational mechanisms. Data were collected from 172 senior executives representing mining companies in Tanzania and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings show that ERM significantly enhances OR, which subsequently strengthens sustainable competitive advantage. OR fully mediating the ERM–competitive advantage relationship. In contrast, DTA significantly enhances both OR and sustainable competitive advantage, but OR does not significantly mediate the relationship between DTA and sustainable competitive advantage. These findings suggest that ERM creates strategic value primarily through dynamic capability building and DTA generates value through direct pathways. The study extends the Resource-Based View by demonstrating that strategic capabilities differ in how their value is realized and contributes to Dynamic Capabilities Theory by highlighting the contingent role of OR in value creation. Overall, the study advances a Strategic Capability Heterogeneity perspective, showing that different strategic capabilities generate sustainable competitive advantage through distinct mechanisms.

Restorative Justice in the Malaysian Criminal Justice System: The Legal Position in the Civil Courts

Norjihan Ab Aziz — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 20:18:11 +0800

Restorative justice has gained international recognition and has been adopted in various forms within the criminal justice systems of countries such as New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rather than replacing the traditional criminal justice system, restorative justice complements existing mechanisms by providing an alternative approach to resolve criminal cases. In many jurisdictions, a guilty plea may serve as a referral factor for a restorative justice programme, which views crime as not only a violation of law, but also as harm to individuals and relationships. It therefore emphasises reparation, reconciliation, offender accountability, restoration of relationships, and the reintegration of offenders into society to reduce the likelihood of reoffending. In Malaysia, however, there is currently no comprehensive statutory or institutional framework expressly recognising restorative justice as a distinct approach to criminal justice within the Malaysian criminal justice system. This article examines the concept of restorative justice, its practice in selected jurisdictions, and the legal position within the Malaysian justice system. The study adopts a qualitative doctrinal research methodology based on relevant legislation, statutory provisions, reported cases, books, journal articles, and conference proceedings. The findings indicate that certain provisions of the Malaysian Criminal Procedure Code contain elements consistent with restorative justice, although they are neither formally characterised nor regulated as restorative justice mechanisms. Hence, although restorative justice is not expressly recognised within the Malaysian legal framework, existing criminal justice mechanisms contain restorative elements that may provide a foundation for developing a more structured restorative justice approach in Malaysia.

From CSR and Resilience to Sustainable Competitive Advantage: The Mediating Role of Enterprise Risk Management

Kelvin Luckness Mkundi, Hui Nee Au Yong, William Choo Keng Soon — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 07:31:36 +0800

sector face increasing pressures from climate change, geopolitical instability, regulatory change, resource scarcity, and rising stakeholder expectations. This study examines how Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Enterprise Risk Management (ERM), and Organizational Resilience (OR) contribute to Sustainable Competitive Advantage (SCA) in Tanzania’s ENR sector. Drawing on Stakeholder, dynamic capability and the Resource-Based View theories, the study conceptualizes CSR as a stakeholder-oriented capability, ERM as a strategic resource’s mechanism, and OR as an adaptive dynamic capability. Using survey data from 312 respondents and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), the study examines the direct effects of CSR and OR on SCA and the mediating role of ERM in the CSR and SCA relationship. The findings indicate that CSR has a positive effect on SCA and organization resilience positively influences SCA. ERM partially mediate the relationship between CSR and SCA. The findings suggest that ENR firms should integrate CSR, ERM, and resilience into strategic decision-making rather than treating them as separate compliance-oriented activities.

Linear and Non-linear Impacts of Extent of Sustainability Disclosures on Real Sustainable Growth: Moderating Role of Board Independence

Papias Daudi Njaala, Zam Zuriyati Mohamad, Kogilavani Apadore — Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:17:37 +0800

This paper examines how the extent of economic, social, and environmental sustainability disclosures (ECON, SOC, and ENV) affects companies' real sustainable growth (Real_SGR) and the moderating role of board independence (BIND). It uses a balanced panel of 188 listed companies in the East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) from 2019 to 2023. It uses a two-step system generalized method of moments (Sys GMM) to address endogeneity and other econometric issues associated with panel data studies. Data is processed and analysed using STATA statistical software. The findings show that ECON and SOC have positive and significant impacts on Real_SGR, whereas the relationship between ENV and Real_SGR is significantly negative. In addition, the relationship between ECON and Real_SGR is inverted U-shaped, while the relationship between ENV and Real_SGR is U-shaped. The relationship between SOC and Real_SGR is monotonic, positive, and increasing. BIND, on its own, has a negative, insignificant effect on Real_SGR; however, it weakens the linear impacts of ECON and SOC on Real_SGR. It also weakens and ultimately reverses the initial negative relationship between ENV and Real_SGR. Furthermore, BIND shifts the turning points of ECON- and ENV-Real_SGR functions to lower sustainability disclosure levels. It also strengthens the non-linear effect of SOC on Real_SGR. Robustness checks confirm the stability of the findings. The research contributes to the sustainability reporting literature by demonstrating that disclosure-growth relationships are non-linear and that BIND influences their magnitude and functional form, with implications for corporate governance, investment, sustainability reporting, and regulatory practice.

Affective Meaning in Language and Discourse: A Bibliometric Analysis

Hanglyu Duan, Zalina Mohd Kasim, Lay Hoon Ang — Sun, 27 Sep 2026 20:37:32 +0800

This study investigates the evolution, intellectual structure, and thematic analysis of affective meaning research using bibliometric analysis of 154 English-language articles and review articles from 1994 to 2025 in the Web of Science Core Collection. The publication trend, collaboration network, co-citation network, co-occurrence of keywords, clustering of themes, and temporal evolution were explored using CiteSpace. A significant increase in the number of research publications after 2018 is evident, as well as widespread geographic involvement and relatively scattered institutional and author collaboration. Cited-author and cited-journal networks, on the other hand, show a much larger common intellectual ground that includes systemic functional linguistics and Appraisal, stance and evaluation studies, corpus linguistics, pragmatics and interactional approaches. Some co-existing trends of research are also identified in the present corpus through keyword and cluster analyses using corpus-based, interactional, multimodal, cross-cultural, second-language and context-specific approaches. Temporal patterns suggest that these developments occurred in conjunction with ongoing language- and discourse-based issues, revealing a process of gradual thematic diversification instead of sudden thematic replacement. Therefore, the results suggest a field that, while intellectually connected, is conceptually plural. Future studies should focus on more explicitly comparing and integrating constructs that overlap, cross-linguistic validation, and methodological designs that integrate corpus and contextual evidence and multimodal interpretation.

Rukun Negara - Centric Civic Education in The Digital Era: Policy Recommendations for Malaysia

Norazlina Abdul Aziz, Nurazlina Abdul Raof, Mastika Nasrun, Rosa Ristawati — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 08:52:23 +0800

Malaysia's foundational civic philosophy, the Rukun Negara, was conceived as a normative instrument for nation-building, inter-ethnic cohesion, and constitutional governance. However, its effective transmission to contemporary Malaysian youth is increasingly compromised by three interconnected structural challenges: an examination-driven curriculum that privileges theoretical recall over experiential civic engagement; deficiencies in civic and constitutional literacy among young people; and the normalisation of ethically problematic behaviour within digital media ecosystems. Although Rukun Negara principles are formally embedded across the national curriculum, pedagogical delivery continues to be dominated by rote-learning approaches that impede meaningful internalisation of civic values. Compounding this are systemic gaps in teacher preparedness and inadequate formative assessment strategies that collectively diminish pedagogical effectiveness. At the ideological level, globalisation, competing transnational value systems, and the politicisation of national principles contribute to youth disengagement, particularly with respect to constitutional supremacy and the rule of law. Simultaneously, the rapid proliferation of social media platforms and digital content creators introduces novel vectors of civic erosion, as algorithmically amplified discourse increasingly normalises disrespect, legal transgression, and anti-civic behaviour. Drawing on multidisciplinary scholarship in civic education, constitutional law, digital citizenship, and youth studies, this article analyses the implications of these converging threats, including attenuated patriotism, weakened social cohesion, and diminished commitment to national values. It further proposes a Rukun Negara-Centric Civic Education Model grounded in constitutional patriotism, incorporating curricular reform, experiential learning, digital citizenship education, peer-led initiatives, and enhanced teacher professional development as pathways toward revitalising civic instruction in Malaysia.

Budaya Etnik dan Persepsi terhadap Dasar Keselamatan Siber: Peranan Pengantara Literasi Digital dalam Kalangan Mangsa Penipuan Siber di Malaysia

Adi Sofuan bin Md Yusof, Mohd Sobhi bin Ishak, Zafari bin Zulkifli — Sun, 06 Sep 2026 19:50:21 +0800

Penipuan siber lazimnya dibincangkan melalui tingkah laku mangsa atau keupayaan teknologi, sedangkan cara pengguna memahami perlindungan institusi turut terbentuk melalui pengalaman sosial dan amalan digital. Artikel ini meneliti hubungan antara Budaya Etnik, Tahap Literasi Digital dan Persepsi terhadap Dasar Keselamatan Siber dalam kalangan 500 warganegara Malaysia berumur 18 tahun dan ke atas yang pernah menjadi mangsa penipuan siber serta telah membuat laporan polis. Data dikumpul melalui tinjauan keratan rentas dan dianalisis menggunakan PLS-SEM dengan 5,000 sampel semula bootstrap. Budaya Etnik mempunyai hubungan negatif yang signifikan dengan Tahap Literasi Digital (β = -0.442, p < .001), tetapi tidak mempunyai hubungan langsung yang signifikan dengan Persepsi terhadap Dasar Keselamatan Siber (β = 0.003, p = .892). Tahap Literasi Digital pula mempunyai hubungan positif yang sangat kuat dengan persepsi tersebut (β = 0.912, p < .001). Kesan tidak langsung Budaya Etnik terhadap Persepsi terhadap Dasar Keselamatan Siber melalui Tahap Literasi Digital adalah signifikan (β = -0.404, p < .001). Dapatan ini mencadangkan bahawa hubungan antara latar sosiobudaya dan cara mangsa memahami maklumat, garis panduan serta saluran perlindungan institusi lebih jelas apabila dibaca melalui amalan literasi digital. Walau bagaimanapun, pertindihan empirikal yang tinggi antara konstruk literasi digital dan persepsi dasar mengehadkan tuntutan tentang pemisahan kedua-duanya. Implikasinya, komunikasi keselamatan siber perlu dibina sebagai keupayaan yang boleh digunakan, bukan sekadar penyampaian maklumat rasmi.

Pengetahuan dan Sikap Pelajar Universiti Terhadap Seksualiti

Zakiyah Jamaluddin, Nurul Syakirah Atiqah Mohd Sabri — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 10:43:07 +0800

Isu seksualiti dalam kalangan pelajar universiti semakin mendapat perhatian berikutan peningkatan masalah sosial seperti tingkah laku seksual berisiko, jangkitan penyakit kelamin dan kehamilan tidak dirancang. Walaupun pelajar universiti terdedah kepada pelbagai sumber maklumat, tahap kefahaman, dan penghayatan terhadap seksualiti yang sihat masih dipersoalkan. Oleh itu, kajian ini dijalankan bagi mengenal pasti tahap pengetahuan dan sikap pelajar universiti terhadap seksualiti. Selain itu, kajian juga menganalisis perbezaan tahap pengetahuan berdasarkan demografi (jantina dan kaum) dan hubungan antara tahap pengetahuan dengan sikap pelajar terhadap seksualiti. Data dikumpul melalui borang soal selidik yang melibatkan seramai 296 orang pelajar Universiti Utara Malaysia. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa tahap pengetahuan pelajar universiti terhadap seksualiti berada pada tahap sederhana, dengan wujud perbezaan yang signifikan berdasarkan faktor demografi (jantina dan kaum). Terdapat juga hubungan yang signifikan antara tahap pengetahuan dengan sikap terhadap seksualiti. Secara keseluruhannya, kajian ini memberi implikasi penting kepada pihak pelajar, institusi pengajian tinggi, dan kerajaan dalam merangka pendidikan seksual yang lebih komprehensif dan berkesan.

Pola Penggunaan Bahasa pada Papan Tanda Nama Bangunan dan Premis di Banda Hilir, Melaka

Mon, 07 Sep 2026 17:09:01 +0800

Kajian ini meneliti penggunaan bahasa pada papan tanda bangunan dan premis di sekitar Banda Hilir, Melaka. Tiga objektif kajian telah dibangunkan bagi membantu kajian ini iaitu (i) mengenal pasti kategori bangunan dan premis yang direpresentasikan melalui papan tanda, (ii) menganalisis pola penggunaan bahasa pada papan tanda nama bangunan dan premis, serta (iii) meneliti hubungan deskriptif antara kategori bangunan dan premis dengan bahasa digunakan. Data dikumpulkan melalui rakaman fotografi yang dibuat ketika kajian lapangan. Sebanyak 322 nama papan tanda direkodkan sebagai data boleh guna untuk kajian ini. Dapatan menunjukkan bahawa kategori peruncitan dan pusat beli-belah serta kategori makanan dan minuman membentuk 64.0% korpus. Dapatan juga menunjukkan bahawa papan tanda ekabahasa mendominasi dengan 229 nama (71.1%), diikuti dwibahasa sebanyak 88 nama (27.3%) dan multibahasa sebanyak lima nama (1.6%). Bahasa Melayu hadir dalam 194 nama (60.2%), bahasa Inggeris dalam 141 nama (43.8%) dan bahasa Cina dalam 56 nama (17.4%), termasuk dalam kombinasi bahasa. Tabulasi silang menunjukkan bahawa pola bahasa berbeza mengikut kategori. Penggunaan bahasa Melayu paling menonjol dalam kategori (i) kerajaan, pendidikan, (ii) warisan dan (iii) keagamaan, manakala penggunaan bahasa Inggeris lebih ketara dalam kategori (i) penginapan dan kategori (ii) sektor komersial. Kajian ini menunjukkan bahawa kategori bangunan dan premis perlu dipertimbangkan dalam pentafsiran landskap linguistik di sesuatu kawasan. Setiap kategori memperlihatkan kecenderungan penggunaan bahasa yang berbeza dan perbezaan tersebut mungkin tidak dapat dikenal pasti jika data dianalisis secara keseluruhan sahaja.

Pembangunan Kerangka Pelaksanaan Program Pendidikan Alternatif bagi Murid Tahfiz Sepenuh Masa

Naimah Muhammad, Mohd Nor Mamat, Fatin Nabilah binti Abdul Wahid — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 11:26:22 +0800

Murid tahfiz sepenuh masa yang mengikuti laluan pendidikan di luar sistem persekolahan arus perdana memerlukan akses kepada kelayakan akademik formal bagi memperluas peluang pendidikan dan hala tuju selepas tamat pengajian tahfiz. Program Trek Pantas SPM merupakan salah satu bentuk pendidikan alternatif yang menyediakan laluan kepada murid tahfiz untuk memperoleh kelayakan Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) dalam tempoh pembelajaran yang lebih singkat. Kajian ini bertujuan meneroka pelaksanaan Program Pendidikan Alternatif bagi murid tahfiz sepenuh masa berdasarkan pengalaman pelaksanaan Program Trek Pantas SPM di Malaysia. Kajian menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif generik dengan melibatkan lima informan utama yang dipilih secara persampelan bertujuan berdasarkan pengalaman dan penglibatan mereka dalam pelaksanaan program. Data dikumpulkan melalui temu bual separa berstruktur dan dianalisis menggunakan Analisis Tematik Reflektif. Analisis menghasilkan lima domain utama, iaitu Keperluan Program, Reka Bentuk Program, Kapasiti Pelaksanaan, Tadbir Urus Kolaboratif dan Kelestarian Program. Dapatan menunjukkan bahawa pelaksanaan pendidikan alternatif bagi murid tahfiz bukan sekadar memerlukan penyediaan akses kepada kelayakan SPM, tetapi turut melibatkan penyesuaian reka bentuk pembelajaran, kapasiti tenaga pengajar dan sumber, penyelarasan pelbagai pemegang taruh serta mekanisme yang menyokong kesinambungan program. Kajian ini menunjukkan bahawa pelaksanaan Program Pendidikan Alternatif perlu dirancang secara responsif terhadap konteks dan keperluan murid tahfiz serta disokong oleh kapasiti institusi dan ekosistem pelaksanaan yang bersesuaian. Dapatan kajian dapat menjadi asas kepada usaha memperkukuh penyediaan laluan pendidikan alternatif yang lebih tersusun, inklusif dan berdaya tahan bagi murid tahfiz sepenuh masa.

Pendidikan Keibubapaan Muslim Era Digital: Reorientasi Model Atribut Al-Ghazali dalam Mendepani Cabaran Media Baharu

Nor Hamizah Ab Razak, Norhafisah Abd Rahman — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 11:23:28 +0800

Pengasuhan anak-anak di era media baharu memerlukan penyesuaian pendekatan keibubapaan secara tuntas berikutan pendedahan gajet dan internet yang sukar dipisahkan daripada kehidupan harian. Walaupun pendedahan teknologi secara interaktif mampu merangsang kognitif kanak-kanak, ia turut membawa implikasi negatif terhadap perkembangan psikologi, emosi, dan sahsiah jika tidak disaring. Dalam konteks masyarakat Muslim di Malaysia, wujud keperluan terhadap model keibubapaan berteraskan nilai Islam yang komprehensif bagi membimbing anak-anak mengendali faedah serta risiko teknologi digital. Kajian kualitatif menerusi kaedah analisis kandungan ini meneliti 18 artikel akademik pilihan dari pangkalan data Scopus dan Google Scholar (2019–2025). Hasil kajian mengesahkan bahawa pengintegrasian tiga domain utama Atribut Keibubapaan Al-Ghazali—iaitu hubungan dengan Allah, hubungan dengan anak-anak, dan hubungan dengan masyarakat merupakan kerangka spiritual serta praktikal yang kritikal dalam membina ketahanan kendiri anak-anak era digital. Kajian ini memberikan implikasi penting kepada ibu bapa Muslim, kaunselor, dan pendidik dalam memformulasi strategi asuhan berasaskan nilai tauhid dan integriti moral.

Deindividuasi dari Perspektif Islam: Membina Semula Jati Diri, Nilai Moral, dan Tingkah Laku Kolektif

Ahmad Hisham Bin Azizan — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 15:43:55 +0800

Deindividuasi ialah fenomena psikologi yang terjadi apabila individu dalam sesuatu kumpulan kehilangan identiti dan kesedaran kendiri. Proses ini boleh mendorong seseorang melakukan tindakan impulsif, menyimpang, dan adakalanya ganas apabila merasakan identiti dirinya tidak dikenal pasti oleh sesiapa. Artikel ini membincangkan deindividuasi dari perspektif Islam dengan menggabungkan teori psikologi sosial kontemporari bersama al-Quran dan Sunnah, psikologi moral Islam, serta konsep-konsep nafs (diri), takwa, taklif (tanggungjawab moral), muhasabah al-nafs (refleksi diri), dan ummah. Dalam kerangka Islam, pembinaan semula jati diri perlu berasaskan kesedaran bahawa setiap individu tetap mempunyai tanggungjawab moral di hadapan Allah walaupun berada dalam ruang digital ataupun suatu kumpulan. Identiti suatu kumpulan boleh menolak atau mengukuhkan lagi nilai-nilai moral, bergantung kepada norma kumpulan tersebut sama ada didasari oleh takwa, keadilan, kebenaran, dan akauntabiliti, ataupun oleh aṣabiyyah (fanatisme kepartian atau kumpulan), sikap agresif, prejudis, dan sikap menurut secara membuta tuli. Oleh itu, Islam mengemukakan pendekatan seimbang demi mengekalkan akauntabiliti individu sambil memupuk identiti kolektif yang membina dari segi moral. Memahami deindividuasi menerusi kerangka Islam berpotensi membawa kepada pemahaman, pencegaham dan pembinaan semula tingkah laku kolektif dalam masyarakat Muslim.

Pengurusan Strategik Dalam Syarikat Berkaitan Kerajaan di Malaysia: Mengenal Pasti Jurang Penyelidikan Melalui Tinjauan Literatur

Nik Khusairie Bin Jaafar — Tue, 08 Sep 2026 17:39:02 +0800

Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim menegaskan bahawa syarikat berkaitan kerajaan (GLC) merupakan entiti strategik dalam menyokong agenda pembangunan Malaysia. Kedudukan ini menjadikan GLC unik kerana perlu mengimbangi matlamat komersial, kepentingan awam dan akauntabiliti kerajaan. Walaupun pelbagai kajian telah dijalankan berkaitan prestasi GLC, namun aspek pengurusan strategik dalam konteks GLC di Malaysia, masih belum dihuraikan secara menyeluruh. Perbincangan mengenai pengurusan strategik GLC juga masih bersifat terpisah dan kurang bersepadu, khususnya dalam menjelaskan bagaimana GLC membentuk, melaksanakan dan menyesuaikan strategi bagi mencapai prestasi organisasi yang mampan serta memenuhi tanggungjawab kepada pihak berkepentingan. Justeru, kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengenal pasti jurang penyelidikan berkaitan pengurusan strategik dalam GLC
di Malaysia. Kajian ini menggunakan metodologi tinjauan literatur berdasarkan lima (5) langkah pelaksanaan, iaitu penentuan skop, perancangan, pengenalpastian, penyaringan dan pelaporan. Sebanyak dua belas (12) kata kunci pencarian telah ditetapkan bagi tujuan kajian ini. Maklumat bagi tinjauan literatur diperoleh daripada tiga (3) pangkalan data, iaitu Scopus, Google Scholar dan ScienceDirect. Dapatan kajian menunjukkan bahawa terdapat kekurangan kajian yang ketara berkaitan pengurusan strategik dalam GLC di Malaysia. Sehubungan itu, kajian ini mencadangkan agar topik pengurusan strategik dalam GLC di Malaysia diterokai dengan lebih mendalam oleh penyelidik tempatan.

Peranan Kepuasan Keperluan Psikologi Sebagai Perantara dalam Hubungan antara Rasa Kepunyaan dengan Kesejahteraan Psikologi Tenaga Pengajar Orang Kurang Upaya (OKU) di Malaysia

Mohamad Aswad Bin Samdan, Zulnaidi Bin Yaacob, Norizan binti Baba Rahim — Wed, 23 Sep 2026 18:25:56 +0800

Kesejahteraan psikologi tenaga pengajar Orang Kurang Upaya (OKU) merupakan aspek penting dalam menyokong keberkesanan dan kelangsungan pelaksanaan pendidikan khas. Namun demikian, hubungan antara rasa kepunyaan dengan kesejahteraan psikologi, khususnya melalui pemenuhan keperluan psikologi asas, masih kurang diteliti dalam konteks tenaga pengajar OKU di Malaysia. Berasaskan Teori Penentuan Kendiri dan Teori Kepunyaan, kajian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis hubungan antara rasa kepunyaan dengan kesejahteraan psikologi serta menguji peranan kepuasan keperluan psikologi asas yang merangkumi autonomi, kecekapan dan perkaitan sebagai pemboleh ubah perantara. Kajian ini menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif melalui reka bentuk tinjauan rentas-seksyen yang melibatkan 238 orang tenaga pengajar OKU yang berkhidmat dalam institusi pendidikan khas di Malaysia. Data dikumpulkan menggunakan soal selidik dan dianalisis melalui analisis regresi serta analisis perantaraan menggunakan PROCESS Macro dengan 5,000 sampel bootstrap dan selang keyakinan 95 peratus. Dapatan menunjukkan bahawa rasa kepunyaan mempunyai hubungan positif dan signifikan dengan autonomi, kecekapan, perkaitan dan kesejahteraan psikologi. Ketiga-tiga dimensi kepuasan keperluan psikologi asas turut menunjukkan hubungan positif dan signifikan dengan kesejahteraan psikologi. Analisis kesan tidak langsung menunjukkan bahawa autonomi, kecekapan dan perkaitan masing-masing memainkan peranan sebagai pemboleh ubah perantara separa dalam hubungan antara rasa kepunyaan dengan kesejahteraan psikologi. Dapatan ini menunjukkan bahawa kepuasan keperluan psikologi asas merupakan mekanisme penting yang menjelaskan sebahagian hubungan antara rasa kepunyaan dengan kesejahteraan psikologi tenaga pengajar OKU. Dari sudut implikasi, usaha memperkukuh kesejahteraan psikologi tenaga pengajar OKU perlu memberi penekanan kepada pewujudan persekitaran kerja yang inklusif, menyokong autonomi, memperkukuh kecekapan serta menggalakkan hubungan sosial yang positif.

Analisis Keperluan Pembangunan E-Kamus dalam Pembelajaran Bahasa Arab Untuk Komunikasi Perniagaan di Universiti Teknologi Mara Malaysia

Wed, 23 Sep 2026 16:51:24 +0800

Penguasaan kosa kata merupakan antara cabaran yang dihadapi pelajar dalam pembelajaran Bahasa Arab untuk Komunikasi Perniagaan, khususnya dalam memahami istilah dan menggunakannya mengikut konteks komunikasi yang sesuai. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk mengenal pasti cabaran pelajar dalam pembelajaran Bahasa Arab untuk Komunikasi Perniagaan, menilai pandangan mereka terhadap penggunaan teknologi dan kamus digital serta menganalisis ciri-ciri dan kebolehcapaian e-kamus yang diperlukan. Kajian ini menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif dengan melibatkan 145 orang pelajar Ijazah Sarjana Muda daripada Fakulti Pengurusan dan Perniagaan Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) yang mengikuti kursus Bahasa Arab untuk Komunikasi Perniagaan. Data dikumpulkan melalui soal selidik yang mengandungi 17 item dan dianalisis secara deskriptif menggunakan Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) versi 29.0. Dapatan menunjukkan bahawa pelajar masih memerlukan bantuan tambahan untuk menguasai kosa kata Bahasa Arab dalam konteks komunikasi perniagaan dan menghadapi cabaran dalam menggunakan ayat yang sesuai bagi komunikasi rasmi. Dari aspek penggunaan teknologi, pelajar menunjukkan minat terhadap penggunaan e-kamus khusus untuk pembelajaran Bahasa Arab bagi komunikasi perniagaan. Ciri yang paling banyak dipilih ialah carian dwibahasa Arab–Melayu/Melayu–Arab, diikuti contoh ayat dalam konteks sebenar perniagaan, audio sebutan dan akses luar talian. Secara keseluruhannya, dapatan kajian menunjukkan terdapat keperluan untuk membangunkan e-kamus yang memberi tumpuan kepada kosa kata dan konteks komunikasi perniagaan serta mengambil kira keperluan pelajar sebagai pengguna. Dapatan ini boleh dijadikan asas dalam menentukan kandungan dan ciri e-kamus yang akan dibangunkan.

Pemerkasaan Bahasa Melayu dalam Kontrak Perbankan Islam di Malaysia

Ruzian Markom, Mohd Izzat Amsyar Mohd Arif — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 09:16:56 +0800

Artikel ini menganalisis pemerkasaan Bahasa Melayu dalam dokumentasi kontrak perbankan Islam di Malaysia dengan memberi tumpuan kepada peranan standardisasi terminologi dalam meningkatkan kebolehfahaman kontrak, perlindungan pengguna dan kepastian undang-undang. Kajian ini menggunakan pendekatan penyelidikan perundangan doktrinal yang disokong oleh analisis kandungan dan kajian eksploratori melalui soal selidik terhadap 18 orang pakar dan pihak berkepentingan yang terdiri daripada ahli akademik, hakim dan pegawai kehakiman. Analisis memberi tumpuan kepada kerangka perundangan perbankan Islam, dokumentasi kontrak, penggunaan terminologi Syariah dan bahasa perundangan serta keperluan standardisasi Bahasa Melayu. Dapatan menunjukkan bahawa cabaran utama bukan semata-mata berkaitan penggunaan Bahasa Melayu, tetapi ketiadaan terminologi yang seragam, tepat dan mudah difahami dalam dokumentasi kontrak. Standardisasi dokumentasi sedia ada perlu dilengkapi dengan standardisasi terminologi bagi mengurangkan jurang makna antara institusi kewangan dengan pelanggan serta menyokong pembentukan persetujuan kontrak yang bermakna (meaningful assent). Berdasarkan dapatan tersebut, artikel ini mencadangkan satu kerangka perundangan berasaskan konsep legal infrastructure yang mengintegrasikan lima dimensi, iaitu normatif, institusi, operasional, terminologi dan hasil. Kerangka ini menempatkan standardisasi terminologi Bahasa Melayu sebagai sebahagian daripada infrastruktur perundangan yang menyokong kebolehfahaman kontrak, perlindungan pengguna dan kepastian undang-undang dalam perbankan Islam di Malaysia.

Industrial Development Process Transformation: A Catalyst for Change in Local Authorities

Thu, 17 Sep 2026 14:33:27 +0800

Industrial development can significantly affect surrounding communities by contributing to economic growth, social transformation, and infrastructure expansion. However, property developers and institutional investors frequently encounter regulatory barriers arising from complex, multi-layered administrative approval processes. To address these bureaucratic bottlenecks, the Kulai Municipal Council (Majlis Perbandaran Kulai [MPKu]) introduced the Kulai Fast Lane (KFL) initiative to expedite approvals and enhance investor facilitation. This study examines the key mechanisms of the KFL initiative and its operational and economic implications for industrial development within MPKu’s administrative area. Using a qualitative research design, primary data were collected through semi-structured interviews with representatives of MPKu and stakeholders involved in KFL-related industrial development projects. The findings indicate that KFL’s core facilitation mechanisms, including preliminary coordination, expedited planning approvals, and the reduction of the relevant operating-licence approval period from 30 days to one day following issuance of the Certificate of Completion and Compliance (CCC), may substantially accelerate the overall project-delivery process. The reported timeline is reduced from 24 months to 14 months. Furthermore, KFL may support more productive use of local-authority land, contribute to industrial investment and municipal revenue, and facilitate employment creation. These outcomes should be interpreted as potential contributions associated with broader industrial development rather than as effects attributable solely to KFL. Despite these potential benefits, KFL is currently confined to designated industrial development areas. Adapting this framework for broader sectors, including commercial and residential development, could provide a model for modernising local-authority planning governance, subject to appropriate policy, regulatory, and technical assessment.

Postcolonial Ecocritical Analysis of 2025 Nobel Prize Literature Nominee Amitav Ghosh in Two Novels

Siti Noor Fazelah Binti Mohd Noor — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 07:44:33 +0800

The present study aims at exploring postcolonial ecocritical perspective of Amitav Ghosh’s novels, The Hungry Tide (2004) and Gun Island (2019), to investigate how ecological issues are embedded in postcolonial contexts. This paper explores the complex relationship between the natural, the cultural and the powerful in Ghosh’s narratives thru a postcolonial ecocritical lens. The Hungry Tide is about the existential dilemmas and changes in the Sundarbans delta, and the vulnerability of marginalized communities to environmental disaster. Gun Island takes the inquiry global, after ecological crises and human migration from the Sundarbans to Venice, interrogating the wider impacts of climate change and displacement. Ghosh’s work brings to light the urgent problem of ecological justice, forcing the reader to reexamine the relationship between humans and the environment. In this analysis, it is argued that the continuous degradation of the environment is caused mainly by industrialization and relentless economic pursuits, as depicted in Ghosh’s fiction. The paper argues that, taken together, postcolonial literature, read thru an ecocritical lens, can offer new ways of understanding and responding to global ecological issues.

ISA 315 Compliance, Artificial Intelligence Adoption, and Audit Outcomes: A Theoretical Framework for Emerging Economies

Nadeen Azad Mohammed, Ahmad Haruna Abubakar — Tue, 22 Sep 2026 07:53:10 +0800

The modern auditing environment is undergoing a radical change due to the accelerated technological development and the growing complexity of international business conditions (Munoko et al., 2020; Assidi et al., 2025). Risk assessment is the most important feature of the profession of auditing, formally regulated under the International Standard on Auditing (ISA) 315, Identifying and Assessing the Risks of Material Misstatement (Carlin & Persellin, 2021). The new ISA 315, which took effect in December 2021, is the most material change to the risk assessment standards in more than a decade, including stronger requirements to understand the IT environment of an entity and internal controls. At the same time, the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies — including machine learning, natural language processing, and sophisticated data analytics — have become the disruptive powers in the professional services sphere (Munoko et al., 2020). This paper develops a multi-theoretical framework integrating the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) Theory, Institutional Theory, Agency Theory, and the Resource-Based View (RBV) to explain how ISA 315 compliance and AI adoption jointly determine audit efficiency and audit effectiveness in Iraqi auditing firms, mediated by contextual barriers and facilitators. Nine formal hypotheses are advanced. The paper argues that compliance with ISA 315 functions as a regulatory catalyst for AI adoption, and that the efficiency and effectiveness benefits of both compliance and adoption are filtered through the structural and institutional conditions of the Iraqi operating environment.

Legal Literacy and Procedural Justice: Professional Growth among UiTM Auxiliary Police

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 08:57:09 +0800

Auxiliary police have long served as a supporting security force in universities and other semi-public institutions in Malaysia. In recent years, their role has expanded beyond basic enforcement to responsibilities such as making arrests and inspection of room in campus. Not only do they need to have a sound understanding of law and procedure, but each decision making should be made reasonably and fairly. This paper examines the legitimacy of the enforcement by auxiliary police officers at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) through the lens of legal literacy and procedural fairness. The Faculty of Law at Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) introduced an In-Service Legal Literacy and Professionalism Enhancement Training (Kursus Latihan Dalam Perkhidmatan Pemantapan Profesionalisme Polis Bantuan UiTM Siri), which includes core modules in the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC), Law of Evidence, Dangerous Drugs Act (DDA), Criminal Law, Constitutional Law, and Administrative Law, to strengthen the legal and procedural competence of campus Auxiliary Police. A mixed-method descriptive survey was administered to 58 Auxiliary Police officers at the end of the training. Quantitative items measured perceptions of training effectiveness, confidence in handling criminal and student misconduct cases, and officer-student relations, while open-ended responses captured reflective insights. The findings show that 96.6% of respondents agreed that the Faculty of Law training helped them in campus law-enforcement duties, 96.6% reported greater confidence in handling criminal cases, and 98.3% reported greater confidence in handling student misconduct cases. The open-ended responses also emphasised legal knowledge, practical training, respectful communication, and the need for clearer and more consistent enforcement powers. Viewed through procedural justice, these responses reflect the importance of lawfulness, fair treatment, explanation, and respectful engagement. The study concludes that institutionalised legal-literacy training supports professionalism and provides a basis for procedurally fair campus enforcement.

Immersive Marketing and Impulse Buying in Livestream E-Commerce: Mediating Roles of Perceived Value and Trust of Livestreamer

Sun, 27 Sep 2026 13:41:39 +0800

The world of live streaming is becoming a significant part of e-commerce, and immersive marketing tactics are driving consumer behaviour. This study explores the effect of immersive marketing on the impulse buying of undergraduate consumers in cosmetics livestream shopping, while examining the intermediary role of perceived value and trust of livestreamer. Based on Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) model, we argue that immersive marketing (S) increases consumers' perceived value/trust of livestreamer (O), which further increases the impulse buying (R) behavior of consumers. The data were gathered from 396 undergraduate students who had previous experience buying cosmetics products from a livestream platform in Guangxi, China. The hypothesized relationships were tested using partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The result shows that there is a significant and positive relationship between immersive marketing and perceived value and trust in livestreamer. Further, the perceived value and trust of the livestreamer have significant mediation effects between immersive marketing and the impulse buying behavior. The results also further expand the S-O-R paradigm to apply to live-stream e-commerce and provide marketing practitioners with practical considerations for how to use immersive approaches to drive consumer engagement and spontaneous buying.

Adolescent Aggression and Parent-Child Triangulation: The Mediating Effect of Mentalization

Miao Zhang, Hon Kai Yee, Guan Teik Ee — Sun, 27 Sep 2026 19:53:20 +0800

Adolescence is a critical developmental period in which family relationships and psychological processes can substantially shape behavioral outcomes. This study examines the relationship between parent-child triangulation and adolescent aggression and investigates the mediating role of adolescent reflective functioning. Data were collected from adolescents using standardized self-report measures assessing parent-child triangulation, reflective functioning, and aggression. The data were analyzed using correlation analysis, direct effect analysis, and mediation analysis. The results showed that parent-child triangulation was positively correlated with adolescent reflective functioning and positively associated with adolescent aggression, whereas adolescent reflective functioning was negatively correlated with adolescent aggression. The direct effect analysis further showed that parent-child triangulation had a significant positive association with adolescent aggression. The mediation analysis revealed a significant negative indirect effect of parent-child triangulation on adolescent aggression through adolescent reflective functioning. This finding indicates that the positive association between parent-child triangulation and reflective functioning, together with the negative association between reflective functioning and aggression, forms a negative indirect pathway. Thus, reflective functioning represents a pathway through which parent-child triangulation is indirectly associated with lower aggression, despite the positive direct association between triangulation and aggression. These findings highlight the importance of considering both family relational experiences and adolescents’ psychological processes when understanding aggressive behavior. Interventions that strengthen adolescents’ reflective functioning, together with efforts to reduce adolescents’ involvement in problematic parental interactions, may provide useful directions for supporting adolescent adjustment.

Entering the Operational Afterlife: Art-Led Rural Revitalisation in China

Zhou Yang, S'harin binti Mokhtar, Norazmi bin Shahlal — Sun, 27 Sep 2026 20:57:14 +0800

Art-led rural revitalisation is commonly assessed through visible outputs, event attendance or participation during design interventions. Less is known about the transition in which completed or newly installed assets encounter the demands of ordinary use. This article develops operational afterlife as a focused analytical window on that transition. It reports an exploratory secondary qualitative analysis of eight source-screened operational episodes drawn from a broader doctoral fieldwork corpus. The episodes concern Xucun in Shanxi, Gejia and surrounding villages in Ninghai, Zhejiang, and the Route 8 art-village network around Caijiapo, Shaanxi. Recorded between January and August 2025, they cover seasonal business continuity, property conversion and local financial constraints; maintenance recognised during installation and retrospectively; and festival access, variable activity and early coordination. Explicit eligibility criteria excluded source overlap, unresolved place attribution and unreliable wording. The analysis develops three propositions rather than estimating prevalence or project impact. First, intervention legacies become selectively reusable assets rather than an automatically preserved stock. Second, design choices disclose recurring care work that must be assigned and resourced. Third, rules and alliances may coordinate access before they achieve durable and revisable operation. Operational afterlife differs from sustainability or legacy assessment by examining how actors select, care for and renegotiate what remains as exceptional project attention recedes. The propositions are deliberately bounded and require further longitudinal and multi-source testing.

Judicial Caning: A Study of Jurisprudence and Human Dignity

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 11:23:44 +0800

This research carries out a jurisprudential review of judicial caning in the context of criminal punishment considering the notions of justice, proportionality, and legal dignity in reference to the Malaysian legal system. The discussion critically examines the legal and philosophical underpinning that has been established under the administration of criminal punishment considering modern ideologies that relate to criminal punishment regarding notions related to punishment in retribution, deterrence, and rehabilitation. The study will further interrogate the question of how caning as a form of judicial punishment is proportionate to criminal behavior and how it might act to undermine contemporary norms of humane treatment and aspects of human rights and the respect for individual dignity. Traditional views and defenses of corporal punishment in relation to these goals of deterrence and condemnation are challenged by this assignment in line with contemporary developments in jurisprudence and its concern for autonomy and the inherent worth of the person. The analysis concludes that judicial caning presents a continued imbalance between the power of the state to punish and discipline offenders, and the rule of law to guarantee justice and the dignity of the offender. This is an important concern about the future compatibility of judicial caning with the dignity-based approach to punishing offenders.

Demographic Variations in Leadership Behavior: Analyzing Gender, Workplace Experience, and Regional Differences in China's Service Industry

Sun Yuyan, Khairul Azhar Jamaludin, Mohd Sahandri Gani Hamzah — Sun, 27 Sep 2026 16:29:29 +0800

As China accelerates its macroeconomic transformation toward a high-value, knowledge-intensive service economy, cultivating adaptive leadership capabilities among workforce practitioners has become an institutional priority. While the Educational Business Curriculum (EBC) provides foundational cognitive and technical competencies, the manifestation of these competencies into observable workplace leadership behavior is frequently moderated by key demographic factors. Grounded in the Transformation-Knowledge, Skills, Personality Quality-Leadership Behaviour (T-KSP-L) Conceptual Framework, this quantitative study investigates differences in leadership behaviour among service sector professionals across three critical demographic dimensions: gender, accumulated workplace experience, and provincial location (Beijing, Zhejiang, and Guangdong). Utilizing independent-samples t-tests and one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), three primary null hypotheses were tested. The findings revealed a statistically significant difference in leadership behavior based on gender (t(386) = 2.466, p = 0.001), with male practitioners recording higher mean scores (M = 4.1132, SD = 0.8025) than female practitioners (M = 3.8781, SD = 1.0739). This outcome is analyzed through the lens of Social Role Theory, organizational tracking, and unequal access to executive mentorship (Cooke, 2013; Eagly, 1987; Zhou, 2025). Workplace experience demonstrated a highly significant effect (F(4, 383) = 10.037, p = 0.001); Scheffé post-hoc analyses indicated that senior practitioners (7-8 years, M = 4.206, and ≥ 9 years of experience, M = 4.194) exhibited substantially higher leadership behavior scores compared to novice cohorts (1-2 years, M = 3.475, and 5-6 years, M = 3.429), strongly supporting Experiential Learning Theory (Day, 2001; Kolb, 2015). Conversely, provincial location yielded no statistically significant difference (F(2, 385) = 0.593, p = .553), suggesting an increasing homogenization of corporate governance standards, digital management platforms, and leadership expectations across China's primary economic hubs (Bing, 2023; Van Laar et al., 2020). The study integrates qualitative focus group insights to contextualize these statistical patterns, offering actionable implications for equitable talent pipelines, tenure-tiered leadership interventions, and standardized business curriculum design.

Knowledge Communication Through Short Videos in China: Research Dynamics and Thematic Patterns

Liu Xingchen, Lai Che Ching @ Abd Latif — Sat, 26 Sep 2026 12:47:32 +0800

Short videos have become an important infrastructure for communicating knowledge in China, yet domestic scholarship remains dispersed across publishing, library and information science, journalism, education, platform studies and user research. This review maps and synthesises 93 Chinese-language journal articles indexed in CNKI and published between 2018 and July 2026. The corpus was coded by publication year, research object, platform, reported method, evidence-design family and one primary thematic category; 35 uncertain or boundary articles were checked against their full texts. Annual output increased from one article in 2018 to a peak of 20 in 2022. Institutional integration was the largest theme, with 31 studies (33.3%). The evidence base comprised 51 conceptual, normative or commentary-based studies, 21 quantitative or computational studies, 20 qualitative or bounded case studies and one mixed-methods study. Named-platform research concentrated on Douyin (13 studies) and Bilibili (nine). Quantitative evidence was strongest in research on communication characteristics and effects, whereas content, theoretical and platform studies remained predominantly conceptual. The field has therefore established substantial thematic breadth, but its evidence is uneven: institutional adoption and platform performance are documented more consistently than cross-platform comparison, longitudinal change or the substantive content of knowledge interaction. Future research should use clearer outcome definitions, more comparable units of analysis and stronger integration of content, user and platform evidence.

Stakeholder Conflicts and Labor Alienation in ICH Commodification: The Case of Zhuang Brocade

Junliang Huang, Mumtaz Mokhtar, Zhang Xin — Sat, 26 Sep 2026 14:47:29 +0800

With the twin pressures of modern commercial logic and digital technological rationality, the transmission of intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is in a dichotomy between 'authenticity preservation' and 'market survival'. Taking the traditional Chinese intangible cultural heritage Zhuang Brocade as an example, this study presents both the Socio-Ecological Systems (SES) model and stakeholder theory. In combination with semi-structured interviews and NVivo 15 qualitative analysis, it analyses the cognitive fragmentation and stakeholder conflicts in the world of five major stakeholder groups that all have different ecological roles: grassroots weavers, core inheritors, enterprise managers, university scholars, and digital designers in the current process of transformation. In particular, it finds: First, in the evolution of the resource system, the shift away from traditional handicrafts and towards mass production has caused a deep ontological crisis in the artisans. Second, in the process of symbolic meaning, the elite class is dominating the aesthetic reconstruction of traditional patterns and the masses of people become so alienated from production on an assembly line and lose their meaning. Third, at the macro-governance level, policy dividends are severely intercepted at the upper levels, failing to produce an effective trickle-down effect, which leaves traditional artisans mired in micro-level livelihood dilemmas and intergenerational transmission ruptures. From a micro-empirical perspective, this study enriches the cutting-edge theoretical debates on heritage commodification and cultural labor alienation, and provides actionable policy implications for balancing the commercial vitality of cultural heritage with the subjectivity of grassroots laborers.

Impact of the Community Outreach Service on the Teacher Interns’ Internship Readiness and Self-Confidence

Eleonor Camo Jarapa — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 08:35:31 +0800

Community service can enhance students’ cultural awareness and a positive outlook. It helps develop strong, supportive relationships, which can create a sense of belonging and solidarity. This study focuses on the impact of the community outreach service of the Teacher Interns’ internship readiness and self-confidence. Its general objective is to recommend interventions that will help incoming Teacher Interns become prepared and aware of other relevant tasks a teacher could have when they are already in the actual internship and service. It employed a quantitative and qualitative research design using mixed methods to determine the impact of the community outreach service. Results show that 71.1% of respondents' reason for joining is to extend any assistance they can give to the beneficiaries, while others' reason is that they knew they could do the assigned tasks. Participants have different takeaways from each activity and from the assistance shared by their program that helped them in their journey as a Teacher Intern. Result also shows that 94.7 % of respondents chose five as their level of satisfaction, while 5.3% of respondents chose four as their level of satisfaction. Meanwhile challenges encountered by the incoming Teacher Interns are classroom management, time and schedule, confidence issues, venue and facility, preparation, transportation, resources, and logistical concerns. Participants suggested more beneficial and rewarding community outreach programs such as board games, the Teach the Teacher Program, a game show, a mini storytelling theater, a retreat, literacy and numeracy activities and more.